Dozens of Viking Age Objects Stolen from the University Museum of Bergen

This key from the Viking Age is just one of about 300 stolen items. (Photo: University Museum of Bergen)

On Monday morning when employees at the University Museum of Bergen returned to work, they got a shocking surprise: Around 300 historical objects, many from the Viking Age, were during the weekend stolen from the Cultural History Collections.

One or more burglars had broken into the seventh floor via the scaffolding installed in connection with exterior renovation. On Saturday the alarm was triggered twice, but the guards who arrived at the place said they did not observe anything suspicious.

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The burglars broke this window on the seventh floor and stole hundreds of historical objects – including these buckles. (Photo: The Norwegian Police / University Museum of Bergen)

The University Museum of Bergen informs that the stolen artifacts are dated back to the Iron Age, Migration Period and Viking Age, but admits that they do not yet have a full overview of the extent of what they consider to be a disaster.

Sold on the Internet?

The burglars did only bring with them items that are easy to carry and probably very sellable to collectors who do not know about the theft.

The museum fears that the thieves will try to sell the artifacts on the Internet and is asking people to keep their eyes and ears open.

“Look for our cultural heritage on Finn (Editor’s note, equivalent to eBay), eBay and in other markets», the University Museum of Bergen writes on Facebook.

Although many of the objects probably do not have high market value, they are an irreplaceable part of Norway’s cultural history.

Editor’s Comment, 20 August 2017: The University Museum informs that the number of stolen items is more than 400 – most stemming from the Viking Age. They also inform that they do not believe the burglars were amateurs.

2 replies

Its a great loss to Norway and all of us that enjoy visiting museums to see the amazing art and craft work of our ancestors. I hope that the thieves will be caught and the artifacts found and returned to the museum. Sam Rowena x